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2019 is a big year for Dana. We鈥檙e celebrating our 40th anniversary! For 24 of those years, we鈥檝e focused on the travel and hospitality industry. Working with travel brands is our passion. Along our journey, we鈥檝e mapped out the essentials of travel brand marketing. Join us on a quick tour of five Dana branding tenets.

1. Understand your competitive landscape. Where does your brand fit? Here鈥檚 your chance to claim a benefit your competitors haven鈥檛 taken鈥攐r if they have, demonstrate your brand鈥檚 superiority. Once you determine areas where your brand can shine, find the one or two that are unique, believable, deliverable and desirable. Avoid competitive comparisons by staying away from 鈥渙n par鈥� positions. If 鈥渕id-priced family-friendly resort鈥� is your position, own that space. Lastly, don鈥檛 overpromise. Take a position that you can realistically deliver.
2. Know your major. It鈥檚 tempting to be all things to all people, but nobody鈥檚 satisfied with that position. Dig into the nitty-gritty and discover the one, maybe two, key benefits your brand can bring to the table. Think of it like selecting a major and minor in college. For , a Virginia conference center transitioning to resort destination, making the major 鈥渇arm鈥� and the minor 鈥渓egacy鈥� was a natural. Once you nail your major/minor, express it as a brand promise鈥攁ka the 鈥渆levator pitch鈥� that captures your brand so succinctly it could be said in seconds. (Or the time it takes for the elevator doors to close.)
3. Build your foundation. Brand pillars are the foundation of your brand and tell your target audience how you deliver on your brand promise. Usually numbering four to six, brand pillars are the base for messaging and touchpoints. For smarTours, (top sights, curated tours, top guides, peace of mind, smart pricing and smart-sized groups) articulated the tour company鈥檚 main strengths and reinforced its brand position as a smart travel choice. These pillars resurface again and again in smarTours鈥� marketing materials.
4. Find your touchpoints. Brand pillars naturally lead to brand touchpoints鈥攖he services, amenities, benefits and style of your brand that touch each guest or customer experience and create the core of your brand story. The mint on the pillow, the pitcher of cucumber water at the front desk, the signature item on the menu, the tongue-in-cheek wording on a confirmation email鈥�each and every one is a touchpoint where your customers learn who you are as a brand. If your brand is luxury, your touchpoints should exemplify luxury. Express a more whimsical brand with quirky touches. For Hilton Wilmington-Christiana, brand touchpoints became a way to differentiate the hotel from the typical chain hotel. Elevated food and beverage, a sense of community, personalized service and a high level of security and consistency were four touchpoints that reflected both the expected and unexpected aspects of the guest鈥檚 interaction with the brand.
5. Now鈥�go live your brand story. The work of branding lives in the day-to-day. It鈥檚 woven into every Facebook post, Instagram, email or banner ad. It animates your staff, your brand ambassadors on the front line. It becomes part of the furniture鈥�literally! It鈥檚 all part of that big, glorious, important story that is your brand.

Let鈥檚 take a brand journey together. If you need a guide to help bring your travel brand marketing to life, contact Lynn Kaniper at 609-466-9187 ext. 117 or聽lkaniper@danacommunications.com听迟辞诲补测.